The first federal census was taken in 1790. As set forth by Congress, the questions posed were few and geared toward determining the size of the population, as well as some basic distinctions regarding sex, age, and race. The household formed the basic census unit. The head of each household was required to report the number of free white males under and over sixteen years of age, the number of free white females, the number of other free persons, and the number of slaves living therein. No information was collected on specific individuals, though the household leader's name was recorded for organizational purposes.

Congress gave responsibility for carrying out the census to the federal marshals in each judicial district. They in turn appointed assistant marshals to travel about the country and gather the information. There were no standardized forms, nor was there a central office to process the returns. All computations were done in the field. After posting their schedules in two of the "most public places" to ensure accuracy, the assistants tabulated their counts and turned them over to the U.S. marshals. The marshals then tallied the totals of each of their assistants and passed the results on to the secretary of state.

The censuses of 1800 through 1840 followed this initial pattern. Incremental refinements were made, however, in both the procedures and questions. In 1830 standardized forms were printed by the government for the first time and distributed to enumerators. A temporary office staff was also set up in Washington to rectify errors and omissions, though statistically sound rules for evaluating and correcting the schedules would not be put in place until late in the century. The number of questions expanded as well, making each census slightly more detailed than its predecessors.

The expanding number of questions reflected a growing interest among Americans in using the census as a tool for social scientific investigation and the formation of sound public policy. Debates over the scope and proper form of the census did not take place in a political vacuum, however. Just as today, some Americans viewed the expansion of the enumeration as an unwarranted intrusion by the federal government into the private lives of individuals. As with many other antebellum issues, debate over the census became mired in sectional politics as well.

The 1850 enumeration represented a watershed in census history. It was far more extensive in scope and scientific in form than its predecessors. Whereas earlier censuses had been tabulated in the field, all statistical calculations were now performed by the Census Office in Washington. Most significantly for future historians and genealogists, however, the 1850 census made the individual, rather than the household, the central unit of analysis. Henceforth, the federal censuses would solicit specific information on every free person in the country.

The 1850 and 1860 censuses were composed of six schedules. These pertained to the free population, the slave population, persons who had died in the previous year, agriculture, manufacturing, and a final schedule which requested information on taxes collected, schools, libraries, newspapers, church accommodations, pauperism, and crime for each locality. Complete federal census data for Augusta and Franklin counties, and other aggregated units, from 1820 through 1860, is available in Searching the Aggregated U.S. Censuses, 1820-1860. In addition, you may also search the 1860 manuscript Population, Agriculture, Slaveholder, and Manufacturing schedules for Augusta and Franklin counties.